Speaker device



Feb. 23, 1965 K. L. DETRICK SPEAKER orzvrca Filed July 6, 1964 INVENTOR. KENNETH L. DETRICK ATTORNEY United States Patent Office 3,170,538 Patented Feb. 23, 1965 3,170,538 SPEAKER DEVICE Kenneth L. Detrick, 2915 S. State Road 7, West Hollywood, Fla. Filed July 6, 1964, Ser. No. 380,587 Claims. (Cl. 18131) This invention relates to a speaker device for remote sus pension from garden or patio supports or from trees or the like and contemplates the connection to the speaker by conventional wiring to radios or other sound producing devices.

The invention contemplates a conventional cone-type speaker disposed within a plastic shell and with the speaker cushioned at its point of support within the shell and a bell-housing that is adapted to be clamped over the upper end of the shell and slightly spaced therefrom to provide a circumferential slot whereby to provide a relief opening for the passage of sound and to obtain a full depth in the tone such as the bass notes and with the shell being provided in its bottom with a grill through which the sound treble notes may be projected and with the shell also being vibratory under the influence of the speaker.

Novel features of construction and operation of the device will be more clearly apparent during the course of the following description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings wherein has been illustrated a preferred form of the device and wherein like characters of reference are employed to denote like parts throughout the several figures.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a vertical sectional view through a speaker constructed in accordance with the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a horizontal section taken on line 2-2 of FIGURE 1, and

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary bottom plan view thereof.

Referring specifically to the drawings, there has been provided a generally pear-shaped shell 5, preferably formed of relatively resilient plastic. The shell 5 may be corrugated longitudinally. The shell 5 at its upper end is open and provided with an annular upstanding collar 6. The shell is also open at its lower end and provided with a grill 7, clamped thereto by screws 8.

Supported in the upper end of the shell 5 is a conventional cone speaker 9. The marginal portion of the speaker is cushioned in spaced relation to the shell by preferably sponge rubber pads 10. The speaker 9 is provided with an upstanding metallic cylindrical boss 11 and the boss is recessed and threaded at 12 to receive a mounting screw 13. Disposed over the top of the shell 5 is a bell-housing 14 that may be formed either of metal or plastics. The bell-housing at its lower end extends over the collar 6 and is spaced from the housing by equidistantly spaced lugs 15 so as to provide a circumferential slot 16 forming a relief opening to obtain a full depth in tone such as the bass notes or low volume notes generated by the speaker 9. The lugs 15 are preferably eight in numher and correspond to the spacing of the pads 10. The bell-housing 14 is provided with a fiat top 17, having a raised central portion 18 that is recessed to receive the screw 13 and whereby to connect the several parts together. The raised portion 18 carries a link 19, constituting the initial part of a supporting chain 20 and whereby the entire assembly may be supported on any suitable support as above indicated. The raised portion 18 and the top 17 is further apertured at 21 for the passage of wiring 22 leading from the source of sound, such as a radio or the like. The raised portion 18 is subsequently filled with a suitable caulking or Weather proof compound to weatherproof the speaker when supported outdoors and subjected to the elements.

If found desirable, the marginal edge of the speaker 9 may be provided with a suitable bracket 23, supporting a lamp socket 24, carrying a low voltage lamp 25 and obviously, the wires 22 will also be trained downwardly past the speaker 9 for energizing the lamp. The wires for the lamp will obviously carry a suitable isolation transformer so as to reduce the hazard of handling the device when subjected to moisture and the lamp 25 is preferably a six volt lamp. The shell 5 is preferably transluscent and constitutes a very decorative element for garden, patios, swimming pools or the like.

In the use of the device, the wires 22 and including condoctors for the lamp 25 are extended from a building or other area where the radio or other sound producing device is situated. The shell 5 and associated elements are then suspended by an elongated chain 20 from any suitable support. When the sound is generated by the radio, it will be transmitted to the speaker 9 and the speaker 9 is of conventional push-pull type, and sound generated by the speaker 9 will be projected downwardly and outwardly through the groove 16 and the pads 10 permit the shell 5 to also vibrate as the sound is generated, thus offering a very novel type of speaker having a high tonal sound, with the bass notes being projected in the groove between the bell-housing 14 and the shell, while the treble notes will be projected downwardly through the grill 7 and also vibrate the shell 5 and the vibration of the shell functions as a continuation of the speaker and with the sound from the speaker being thus magnified to pass through the grill 7. The shell 5 may be made in various colors and is very ornamental, especially at night when the lamp 25 is illuminated and presents a very novel ornamental and highly effective speaker assembly.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that there has been provided a very desirable ornamental speaker for use in various outdoor or indoor use and suspended in any desirable position. The device is cheap to manufacture, is strong, durable, water-proof and may be manufactured and sold at a relatively low cost.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction shown, but that changes are contemplated as readily fall within the spirit of the invention as shall be determined by the scope of the subjoined claims.

I claim:

1. A speaker device of the character described comprising a relatively thin walled plastic shell, the shell having an upper open neck portion and with the shell open at its bottom and covered by a grill, a cone-type speaker fitted within the shell, a bell housing overlying the upper open end of the shell and with the bell housing being connected to the speaker to clamp the speaker in underlying relation to the neck portion, cushion means between the speaker and the shell, means carried by the bell housing for spacing the bell housing from the neck portion to form a circumferential relief opening for the projection of sound from the speaker such as the bass notes and a chain connected to the top of the bell housing for suspending the device.

2. A speaker device of the character described that comprises a relatively thin walled pear-shaped shell, the shell having a reduced upper open neck portion and with the shell being open at its bottom and covered by an open grill, a push-pull speaker disposed within the shell and having its marginal portion in underlying relation to the neck portion and cushion pads between the marginal portion of the speaker and the shell, a bell housing overlying the open neck portion and extending therebeyond, spacer elements carried by the bell housing adjacent its marginal edge and whereby to clamp the bell housing in spaced relation to the shell to define a circumferential relief opening for sound produced by the speaker, the speaker having an upstanding axially arranged lug that is provided with a threaded recess and a clamping screw extending from the top of the bell housing to the lug whereby to clamp the speaker and the bell housing with respect to the shell, a chain connected to the top of the bell housing for supporting the bell housing in suspended relation with respect to a support and a source of illumination fixed to a marginal edge of the speaker for illuminating the shell, the shell also being vibratory under the influence of the speaker for projecting treble notes from the speaker downwardly through the grill and with bass notes from the speaker being projected from the circumferential opening formed by the bell housing.

3. The structure according to claim 2 wherein the spacer pads for the speaker are disposed at equidistantly spaced points around the marginal edge of the speaker and with the spacer means of the bell housing being in the form of lugs that are equidistantly spaced around the marginal portion of the bell housing, the bell housing having a fiat top portion provided with an upstanding lug having a recess, a link of the chain being pivotal within openings of the lug and with the screw being recessed into the 4 lug and with the lug having an opening for the wiring means for the speaker and the illuminating means, the recess of the lug being subsequently provided with a caulking compound to seal the screw and the wire opening against the entry of moisture, the shell being of varying colors to be illuminated by the source of illumination.

4. The structure according to claim 2 wherein the shell at its bottom is provided with an inwardly extending flange and clamping means between the grill and the flange for removably clamping the grill to the bottom of the shell.

5. The structure according to claim 2 wherein the source of illumination embodies a socket for the reception of a lamp device and a bracket plate connected to a marginal edge of the speaker and extending inwardly to dispose the socket axially with respect to the shell.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,167,625 8/39 Albano 18l--3l LEO SMILOW, Primary Examiner. 

1. A SPEAKER DEVICE OF THE CHARACTER DESCRIBED COMPRISING A RELATIVELY THIN WALLED PLASTIC SHELL, THE SHELL HAVING AN UPPER OPEN NECK PORTION AND WITH THE SHELL OPEN AT ITS BOTTOM AND COVERED BY A GRILL, A CONE-TYPE SPEAKER FITTED WITHIN THE SHELL, A BELL HOUSING OVERLYING THE UPPER OPEN END OF THE SHELL AND WITH THE BELL HOUSING BEING CONNECTED TO THE SPEAKER TO CLAMP THE SPEAKER IN UNDERLYING RELATION TO THE NECK PORTION, CUSHION MEANS BETWEEN THE SPEAKER AND THE SHELL, MEANS CARRIED BY THE BELL HOUSING FOR SPACING THE BELL HOUSING FROM THE NECK PORTION TO FORM A CIRCUMFERENTIAL RELIEF OPENING FOR THE PROJECTION OF SOUND FROM THE SPEAKER SUCH AS THE BASS NOTES AND A CHAIN CONNECTED TO THE TOP OF THE BELL HOUSING FOR SUSPENDING THE DEVICE. 